DOCSLIB.ORG

Presidential and Legislative Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Presidential and Legislative Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Presidential and Legislative Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo November 28, 2011 Final Report Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope. The Carter Center strives to relieve suffering by advancing peace and health worldwide; it seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and protect and promote human rights worldwide. Presidential and Legislative Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo November 28, 2011 Final Report One Copenhill 453 Freedom Parkway Atlanta, GA 30307 (404) 420-5188 Fax (404) 420-5196 www.cartercenter.org The Carter Center Contents Foreword ..................................2 Postelection Developments ..................55 Executive Summary .........................4 Tabulation ..............................55 Presidential Election Results ................60 Historical and Political Background ...........13 Legislative Results .........................61 Electoral Institutions and Legal Framework for Electoral Dispute Resolution .................63 the Presidential and Legislative Elections ......16 Legal Framework .........................16 Conclusions and Recommendations . .66 Electoral System ..........................18 Appendix A: Acknowledgments . 73 Election Management ......................21 Appendix B: Terms and Abbreviations ........75 Boundary Delimitation .....................26 Appendix C: Letters of Invitation ............76 Pre-Election Developments ..................28 Appendix D: The Carter Center Observation Voter Registration .........................28 Delegation and Staff ........................78 Voter Education ..........................32 Appendix E: Observer Checklists.............80 Candidates and Parties .....................34 Appendix F: Deployment Map ...............89 Campaigns ..............................37 Campaign Finance ........................38 Appendix G: Carter Center Public Statements and Reports . .90 The Media ..............................41 Civil Society .............................43 The Carter Center at a Glance ..............139 Electoral Dispute Resolution .................44 Election-Related Violence ...................46 Election Day ..............................48 List of “Omitted Voters” ...................48 Opening and Polling .......................50 Closing and Vote Counting .................52 Security ................................53 Access for Domestic Observer Groups and Party Agents ............................54 The Carter Center 1 The Carter Center Foreword By Dr. John Stremlau support of the American and Dutch people, and we Vice President, The Carter Center Peace Programs give special thanks to their representatives in the Co-leader, The Carter Center International Election DRC, U.S. Ambassador James F. Entwistle and Royal Observation Mission to the DRC Netherlands Ambassador Robert van Embden. illions of Congolese citizens voted in The U.N. peacekeeping mission to the DRC, national elections on Nov. 28, 2011, their while much less helpful than in 2006 in ensuring Msecond opportunity to exercise this basic security during the voting, continues to play an human right since a still fragile peace accord was essential role helping secure the nation and the brokered by South Africa in April 2002 following opportunity to build a more inclusive, productive, and five years of Africa’s deadliest conflicts. The Carter equitable democratic republic. We continued to rely Center accepted invitations from the Independent on the help of the United Nations in deploying our National Elections Commission (CENI) to observe observers to distant and otherwise inaccessible voting the 2006 and the 2011 elections. On both occasions, precincts, and we thank the secretary-general’s special we witnessed the spirit of the Congolese people and represent ative Roger Meece and his team for their a determination to vote that deserves continued advice and assistance. One major difference between international support and encouragement. These the 2006 and 2011 elections was that the United two national elections are rightly regarded to be the Nations ran and international donors paid for the first freest and most inclusive since Belgian colonialism round, but the Congolese authorities managed and collapsed in 1960. mostly paid for last year’s election. As the following report details, there were Not covered in this report is a parallel Carter many challenges in the conduct of these elections, Center project to assist in the training and develop- especially the compilation of results, which also ment of a large cohort of domestic observers who also should be a cause for continuing international played a vital role in monitoring the conduct of the interest and concern. Problems with registration, 2011 election. The Center’s partnership with civil voter lists, long lines, complex voting procedures society organizations in the DRC, under the terms of and candidate lists, and instances of intimidation a memorandum of understanding with the Congolese and physical danger did not deter the majority of government, reflects our deep belief in the future people from demonstrating their desire for democracy of the DRC as a stable, prosperous democracy. We and the opportunity to vote for their candidates of decided to pursue this opportunity following the 2006 choice. Promoting and protecting these rights are election and extensive consultations with Congolese responsibilities of the CENI, with the support of the authorities and civil society representatives. This government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo process continues, and we hope it will benefit from (DRC) and the active encouragement of the interna- the insights and lessons contained in this report. tional community. The second postelection statement of the We are grateful for the welcome we received from Center’s international observation mission, issued all major political actors in this vital election. We on Dec. 10, 2011, concluded that the final presiden- were honored to have as our senior mission leader tial results announced by the CENI “were not Zambia’s former president, Rupiah Banda. Our credible,” although we were unable to determine mission was funded primarily through the generous if the ranking of the candidates “necessarily would 2 The Carter Center 2011 Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been different.” In essence, we do not know province, the CENI certified implausibly high turnout who actually won the presidential election, a finding numbers that typically favored the incumbent by reaffirmed but explained in greater detail in this margins as high as 100 percent. What we do not final report. know is how many of the votes in areas where the Supporters of the current government have vigor- incumbent has long enjoyed majority support may ously challenged our findings, noting that while there be due to vote-stuffing or how many of the lost and were shortcomings in the process, these could not mishandled ballots in the precincts where the opposi- have been on a scale to wipe out the incumbent’s tion traditionally dominates were actually due to vote 3 million-vote plurality. The opposition disagrees. suppression by authorities loyal to the incumbent. While Carter Center observers could not visit all We share these findings and the recommendations precincts in a country as vast and as deficient in basic for improving electoral practices in the hope that infrastructure as the DRC, we were able to deploy improvements will be made ahead of the upcoming long-term observers who traveled throughout the provincial and local elections and well before the country for four months to assess the political context next presidential election in 2016. The Carter Center and conduct of the elections. has observed more than 80 national elections in We readily acknowledge the huge logistical and all regions of the world. We conduct our work in technical challenges the CENI had to overcome in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for order to meet deadlines for the registration and voting International Election Observers that was adopted by that many impartial international experts believed to all the major international monitoring organizations be impossible. In many areas, our observers strongly at the United Nations in 2005; and we assess elec- commended the dedication and determination of the tions based on the country’s national legal framework local election staff and supervisors who demonstrated and its international obligations for genuine demo- that under daunting conditions, they could perform cratic elections. These widely accepted, impartial at or above international standards. Yet we also noted international principles and standards provide the that the worst examples of mismanaged voting proce- framework for the following report and we hope will dures and results compilations, which we observed gain greater acceptance and application in all future and documented, were in opposition strongholds, elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, most notably Kinshasa. Elsewhere, notably in Katanga solely for the benefit of the Congolese people. 3 The Carter Center Executive Summary he history of elections in the Democratic (with runoff between top two candidates if necessary) Republic of the Congo has been marked by to a single round plurality. Textreme challenges, starting with the 1961 Compared to 2006, the current political environ- assassination of the first elected prime minister, ment of the DRC, with its 417 political
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Country Sheet Democratic Republic of Congo (Drc)
    The Country of Return Information Project functions as a network of NGOs for the collection and transfer of specific information on reintegration possibilities for potential returnees and their counsellor. All questions you may have on reintegration possibilities and on which you don’t find the answer in this country sheet can be directed to the helpdesk: “Country of Return Information and Vulnerable Groups”. E-mail: [email protected] COUNTRY SHEET DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) The Country of Return Information Project and Vulnerable Groups runs until June 2009 and is funded by the European Community. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that JUNE 09 may be made of the information provided. Sole responsibility for its content lies with the author. 1 DISCLAIMER This Country Sheet is for informational purposes only and no rights can be derived from its contents. The CRI-partners will do their utmost to include accurate, corroborated, transparent and up-to-date information, but make no warrants as to its accuracy or completeness. Consequently, the CRI-partners do not accept responsibility in any way for the information in this Country Sheet and accept no liability for damages of any kind arising from using the information in this Country Sheet. The information in this Country Sheet has been retrieved in collaboration with local partners. This Country Sheet contains links to websites that are created and maintained by other organizations. The CRI-project does not take any responsibility for the content of these websites. The CRI-partners are the partners who participate fully in the CRI-project: Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, Asociación Comissión Católica Española de Migración, Caritas International Belgium, Consiglio Italiano Per I Rifugiati, Coordination et Initiatives pour les Réfugiés et Étrangers and Dansk Flygtningehjælp.
    [Show full text]
  • Democratic Republic of Congo: Road to Political Transition
    1 Democratic Republic of Congo: Road to Political Transition Dieudonné Tshiyoyo* Programme Officer Electoral and Political Processes (EPP) EISA Demographics With a total land area of 2 344 885 square kilometres that straddles the equator, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the third largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria. It is situated right at the heart of the African continent. It shares borders by nine countries, namely Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Its population is estimated at 60 millions inhabitants and is made up of as many as 250 ethno-linguistic groups. The whole country is drained by the Congo River and its many tributaries. The second longest river in Africa and fifth longest in the world, the Congo River is second in the world after the Amazon with regard to hydroelectric potential. Brief Historical Background Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the DRC was initially known as the ‘Congo Free State’ when it was formally attributed to King Leopold II at the Berlin Conference of 1885. In fact, in 1879 King Leopold II of Belgium commissioned Henry Morton Stanley to establish his authority over the Congo basin in order to control strategic trade routes to the West and Central Africa along the Congo River. Stanley did so by getting over 400 local chiefs to sign “treaties” transferring land ownership to the Association Internationale du Congo (AIC), a trust company belonging to Leopold II. On 30 April 1885 the King signed a decree creating the ‘Congo Free State’, thus establishing firm control over the enormous territory.
    [Show full text]
  • JOURNAL OFFICIEL Dela République Démocratique Du Congo Cabinet Du Président De La République
    Premi~re partie 51 e année Numéro spécial JOURNAL OFFICIEL dela République Démocratique du Congo Cabinet du Président de la République • ORDONNANCE No 10/025 DU 19 FEVRIER 2010 PORTANT NOMINATION DES VICE-PREMIERS MINISTRES, DES MINISTRES ET DES VICE-MINISTRES • ORDONNANCE No 10/026 DU 19 FEVRIER 2010 PORTANT NOMINATION D'UN CONSEILLER SPECIAL DU CHEF DE L'ETAT EN MATIERE DE SECURITE • ORDONNANCE No 10/027 DU 19 FEVRIER 2010 PORTANT NOMINATION D'UN DIRECTEUR DE CABINET DU PRESIDENT DE LA REPUBLIQUE Kinshasa - 22 février 2010 Première partie 51 e année Numéro spécial JOURNAL OFFICIEL dela République Démocratique du Congo Cabinet du Président de la République Kinshasa - 22 février 201 0 SOMMAIRE 3. Vice-Premier Ministre, Ministre des Postes, Téléphones et Télécom-munications: PRESIDENCE DE LA REPUBLIQUE Monsieur Simon BULUPIY GALATI 19 février 2010 - Ordonnance no 10/025 portant Article 2: nomination des Vice-premiers Ministres, des Ministres et des Vice-ministres, col. 1. Sont nommées Ministres aux fonctions en regard de leurs noms, les personnes ci-après : 19 février 2010 - Ordonnance no 10/026 portant nomination d'un Conseiller spécial du Chef de l'Etat en 1. Ministre des Affaires Etrangères : matière de sécurité, col. 4. Monsieur Alexis THAMBWE MWAMBA 19 février 2010 - Ordonnance no 10/027 portant 2. Ministre de la Coopération Internationale et nomination d'un Directeur de Cabinet du Président de la Régionale: République, col. 5. Monsieur Raymond TSHIBANDA N'TUNGAMULONGO 3. Ministre de la Défense Nationale et Anciens Combattants : Monsieur Charles MWANDO SIMBA PRESIDENCE DE LA REPUBLIQUE 4. Ministre de la Justice et Droits Humains : Monsieur LUZOLO BAMBI LESSA Ordonnance no 10/025 du 19 février 2010 portant nomination des Vice-premiers Ministres, des 5.
    [Show full text]
  • First Carter Center Pre-Election Statement on Preparations in the Democratic Republic of Congo Oct. 17, 2011 the Carter Center
    First Carter Center Pre-Election Statement on Preparations in the Democratic Republic of Congo Oct. 17, 2011 The Carter Center has been closely monitoring the implementation of the electoral calendar that was released by the Independent National Election Commission (CENI) in April of 2011. Voter registration that was scheduled to begin February 28 was postponed until June, which meant that the work of reviewing and validating the voter registry of 32,024,640 could not be concluded before the publication of the annex to the electoral law, determining the number of parliament member seats per district. The delayed publication of the provisional voter register threatens to undermine the public’s ability to confirm or challenge their details and lingering opposition party concerns about the quality of the register could be used to call into question the overall credibility of the voter roll. CENI must take rapid and convincing steps to ensure the transparency and credibility of the voter register to meet the state’s obligation to ensure that all eligible voters are afforded the right to do so. CENI and its partners, notably the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) which provides air support for distribution of election materials among other assistance, are under serious time pressure to ensure the timely distribution of all necessary materials for a November 28, 2011 presidential and legislative election. The very high number of legislative candidates 18,386 creates a complex challenge for ballot paper design, printing, distribution and accommodation of the resulting large ballots by the ballot boxes. Moreover, ballot box production and delivery is still underway.
    [Show full text]
  • Section I – E Xecutive Summary
    SECTION I – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The mission of the State Election Commission is to ensure every eligible citizen has the opportunity to register to vote, participate in fair and impartial elections, and have the assurance that their vote will count. Over the past decade, the business of conducting elections has become vastly more complex and subject to exceptional scrutiny by voters, candidates, media, and the legal community as never before. This requires everyone involved in the elections process, whether at the municipal, county, or state level, to become more technologically savvy, be better trained, and possess a higher level of election expertise. This is the environment in which the State Election Commission (SEC) must operate and carry out its mission. As the chief election agency in South Carolina, the SEC is tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the voter registration and election processes in the State. Everything that we do as an agency, our programs and our projects, emanates from these responsibilities. The primary mission and goal is to provide the highest level and quality of service possible within our statutory mandates. The SEC maintains the State’s computerized statewide voter registration system. The system contains voter registration data on every registered voter in South Carolina. All county voter registration offices have online access to the database. The SEC is responsible for printing the lists of registered voters for all elections held in the State, which averages approximately 300 each year. In combination with the driver’s license file, the system also serves as the source for jury selection lists in the State.
    [Show full text]
  • Of the United Nations Mission in the DRC / MONUC – MONUSCO
    Assessing the of the United Nations Mission in the DRC / MONUC – MONUSCO REPORT 3/2019 Publisher: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs Copyright: © Norwegian Institute of International Affairs 2019 ISBN: 978-82-7002-346-2 Any views expressed in this publication are those of the author. Tey should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. Te text may not be re-published in part or in full without the permission of NUPI and the authors. Visiting address: C.J. Hambros plass 2d Address: P.O. Box 8159 Dep. NO-0033 Oslo, Norway Internet: effectivepeaceops.net | www.nupi.no E-mail: [email protected] Fax: [+ 47] 22 99 40 50 Tel: [+ 47] 22 99 40 00 Assessing the Efectiveness of the UN Missions in the DRC (MONUC-MONUSCO) Lead Author Dr Alexandra Novosseloff, International Peace Institute (IPI), New York and Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Oslo Co-authors Dr Adriana Erthal Abdenur, Igarapé Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Prof. Tomas Mandrup, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and Royal Danish Defence College, Copenhagen Aaron Pangburn, Social Science Research Council (SSRC), New York Data Contributors Ryan Rappa and Paul von Chamier, Center on International Cooperation (CIC), New York University, New York EPON Series Editor Dr Cedric de Coning, NUPI External Reference Group Dr Tatiana Carayannis, SSRC, New York Lisa Sharland, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Canberra Dr Charles Hunt, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, Australia Adam Day, Centre for Policy Research, UN University, New York Cover photo: UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti UN Photo/ Abel Kavanagh Contents Acknowledgements 5 Acronyms 7 Executive Summary 13 Te effectiveness of the UN Missions in the DRC across eight critical dimensions 14 Strategic and Operational Impact of the UN Missions in the DRC 18 Constraints and Challenges of the UN Missions in the DRC 18 Current Dilemmas 19 Introduction 21 Section 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Republique Democratique Du Congo
    ETUDE DE L’IMPACT DES ARTS, DE LA CULTURE ET DES INDUSTRIES CREATIVES SUR L’ ECONOMIE EN AFRIQUE REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO Projet développé et exécuté par Agoralumiere en collaboration avec CAJ(Afrique du Sud) commandé par ARTerial Network et financé par la Foundation DOEN , la Foundation Stomme et la République Fédérale du Nigeria Ministry of Commerce and Industry Federal Republic of Nigeria Democratic Republic of Congo Africa Union www.creative-africa.org Agoralumiere 2009 Remerciements Cette étude pilote a été commandée par ARTERIAL NETWORK et conjointement financée par STICHTING DOEN, la Fondation STROMME et le Gouvernement de la République Fédérale du Nigeria. Agoralumiere a été soutenue par l’Union Africaine pour la conduite de ce travail de recherche pilote dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre du Plan d’Action des Industries Culturelles et Créatives reformulé par Agoralumiere à la demande de la Commission et qui fut adopté en octobre 2008 par les Ministres de la Culture de l’Union Africaine. Agoralumiere a aussi été soutenue par le gouvernement de la République Démocratique du Congo, et particulièrement par le Cabinet du Premier Ministre qui entend utiliser ce travail de base pour élaborer une suite plus approfondie au niveau national, avec des chercheurs nationaux déjà formés dans le secteur. Agoralumiere a enfin été soutenue par le Dr Bamanga Tukur, Président du African Business Roundtable et du NEPAD Business Group. Agoralumiere tient à remercier tous ceux dont la participation directe et la contribution indirecte ont appuyé
    [Show full text]
  • Liste Des Contribuables Déclarés Introuvables Par Le CDI KIN Et Transférés Dans Les CIS
    Liste des contribuables déclarés introuvables par le CDI KIN et transférés dans les CIS FORME N° NIF Raison Sociale Sigle Adresse SECTEUR ACTIVITE ETAT SOCIETE SERVICE GESTIONNAIRE JURIDIQUE AV. COL Télécom. et nouvelles 1 A1418699R PM 2ÈME OEIL YA COMMUNICATION SARL INTROUVABLE CIS / NGALIEMA MONDJIBA technologies d'information 2ID CONSULTING ( INGENIERIE DE L'INFORMATION ET DU 2ID AV.N°157 DE LA Prestation de services et travaux 2 A1611866R PM INTROUVABLE CIS / GOMBE DECISIONNEL ) SARL CONSULTING VALLEE N°72 immobiliers SARL BLVD.C/GOMBE DU 30 Commerce Général et Import- 3 A1515021U PM 3RD YES SARL INTROUVABLE CIS / GOMBE JUIN N°10 IMM. Export AV.GALERIE LOKOLELA Commerce Général et Import- 4 A1302545G PM 7 SARL INTROUVABLE CIS / KINSHASA N°112 Export AV.C/KINSHASA EQUATEUR Commerce Général et Import- 5 A0708987C PM A.M. YOZMA SPRL A.M.YO. INTROUVABLE CIS / GOMBE N°749 Export AV.C/GOMBE SERGENT Prestation de services et travaux 6 A1401591W PM A.S.B GROUP S.A.R.L INTROUVABLE CIS / NGALIEMA MOKE N°14 immobiliers ETS CONGO 4C/NGALIEMA EME N°230/B 7 A1007700G PP ABBAS BACHROUCH "ETS CONGO BRIQUES" Industie INTROUVABLE CIS / LIMETE BRIQUES Q/INDUSTRIEL AV.KINGABUAC/LIMETE 8 A1301215L PP ABBAS GHANEM Autres INTROUVABLE CIS / LIMETE N° 3717 AV.C/LIMETE Commerce Général et Import- 9 A1504836Z PM ABD GROUP CONGO SARL A.G.C SARL INTROUVABLE CIS / MASINA AMBASSADEUR Export BLVDN°06 Q/SANS Commerce Général et Import- 10 A0714176S PP ABDOUL HASSAN ''ETS FISH & MEAT'' * INTROUVABLE CIS / LIMETE LUMUMBA N° Export AV.198605 TSHUAPA 1ère Agriculture et exploitation 11 A0905544M PP ABDOULAY ABASA INTROUVABLE CIS / KINSHASA Q/MADIMBA forestière AV.C/KINSHASA AVENIR Commerce Général et Import- 12 A1520272C PM ABIKIZ SARL INTROUVABLE CIS / KINTAMBO N°12 Export AV.CONCESSION EQUATEUR Commerce Général et Import- 13 A0803244L PM ABNER CONGO DIAMOND SPRL A.C.D SPRL INTROUVABLE CIS / GOMBE N° 24 C/ Export AV.GOMBE COL V/KINEBEYA Prestation de services et travaux 14 A1214486K PP ACHRAF ALI ALACHKAR INTROUVABLE CIS / GOMBE N°76 C/GOMBE immobiliers BLVD.
    [Show full text]
  • La Ville De Kinshasa
    « Kin la belle… – et Kin la poubelle» La ville de Kinshasa Suite à la dégradation économique et plu- En 1881, Henry sieurs vagues de pilla- Morton Stanley ges, les anciens quar- fonde le poste tiers de l’élite (la Léopoldville, Gombe, Ma Campa- nommé après gne à Ngaliema et par le Roi des quelques parties de Belges, colonisa- Limete) sont aujourd’hui d’un charme plutôt morbide. teur du Congo. L’endroit est spacieux et facile à défen- La réhabilitation des routes demeure un défi majeur. dre, ils existent plusieurs villages autochtones sur le Le personnel de la mission EUPOL RD Congo à Kinshasa, Dans les cités, des tornades de pluie font écouler des site. Léopoldville devient centre administratif du octobre 2008. maisons pendant chaque saison de pluie. Congo-Belge en 1929 (avant, c’était la ville de Boma « Kinshasa – the beauty and the beast »: Due to the de- sur la côte atlantique). La capitale devient Kinshasa en gradation of the economic situation and several lootings, 1966. / I n 1881, Henry Morton Stanley founds Leopold- EUPOL RDC et EUSEC RDC, ville, a settlement named after the Belgian King, owner the ancient elite’s quarters of Gombe, Ma Campagne in les deux missions PESD Ngaliema and some parts of Limete show nowadays a of the colony. The site is vast and easy to defend; there rather morbid charme. Rehabilitating Kinshasa’s roads en République Démocratique du Congo, are already several villages of natives in the area. Leo- rests a major challenge for the city’s development. In the vous souhaitent un bon séjour poldville is named administrative center of the Belgian- popular quarters, violent rain downpours bring down à Kinshasa.
    [Show full text]
  • Dismissed! Victims of 2015-2018 Brutal Crackdowns in the Democratic Republic of Congo Denied Justice
    DISMISSED! VICTIMS OF 2015-2018 BRUTAL CRACKDOWNS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO DENIED JUSTICE Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. © Amnesty International 2020 Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons Cover photo: “Dismissed!”. A drawing by Congolese artist © Justin Kasereka (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, international 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode For more information please visit the permissions page on our website: www.amnesty.org Where material is attributed to a copyright owner other than Amnesty International this material is not subject to the Creative Commons licence. First published in 2020 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW, UK Index: AFR 62/2185/2020 Original language: English amnesty.org CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 2. METHODOLOGY 9 3. BACKGROUND: POLITICAL CRISIS 10 3.1 ATTEMPTS TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION 10 3.2 THE « GLISSEMENT »: THE LONG-DRAWN-OUT ELECTORAL PROCESS 11 3.3 ELECTIONS AT LAST 14 3.3.1 TIMELINE 15 4. VOICES OF DISSENT MUZZLED 19 4.1 ARBITRARY ARRESTS, DETENTIONS AND SYSTEMATIC BANS ON ASSEMBLIES 19 4.1.1 HARASSMENT AND ARBITRARY ARRESTS OF PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS AND OPPONENTS 20 4.1.2 SYSTEMATIC AND UNLAWFUL BANS ON ASSEMBLY 21 4.2 RESTRICTIONS OF THE RIGHT TO SEEK AND RECEIVE INFORMATION 23 5.
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Role of the Ethnic Factor Democratic Republic of the Congo
    The Political Role of the Ethnic Factor around Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Hubert Kabungulu Ngoy-Kangoy Abstract This paper analyses the role of the ethnic factor in political choices in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and its impact on democratisa- tion and the implementation of the practice of good governance. This is done by focusing especially on the presidential and legislative elections of 1960 and 2006. The Congolese electorate is known for its ambiguous and paradoxical behaviour. At all times, ethnicity seems to play a determining role in the * Hubert Kabungulu Ngoy-Kangoy is a research fellow at the Centre for Management of Peace, Defence and Security at the University of Kinshasa, where he is a Ph.D. candidate in Conflict Resolution. The key areas of his research are good governance, human security and conflict prevention and resolution in the SADC and Great Lakes regions. He has written a number of articles and publications, including La transition démocratique au Zaïre (1995), L’insécurité à Kinshasa (2004), a joint work, The Many Faces of Human Security (2005), Parties and Political Transition in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2006), originally in French. He has been a researcher-consultant at the United Nations Information Centre in Kinshasa, the Centre for Defence Studies at the University of Zimbabwe, the Institute of Security Studies, Pretoria, the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa, the Southern African Institute of International Affairs and the Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria. The article was translated from French by Dr Marcellin Vidjennagni Zounmenou. 219 Hubert Kabungulu Ngoy-Kangoy choice of leaders and so the politicians, entrusted with leadership, keep on exploiting the same ethnicity for money.
    [Show full text]
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo 2012 Human Rights Report
    DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 2012 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a nominally centralized, constitutional republic. The president and the lower house of parliament (National Assembly) are popularly elected. Provincial assemblies choose the members of the upper house (Senate). In November 2011 the country held multiparty presidential and National Assembly elections, which many local and international observers judged lacked credibility and were seriously flawed. There were many instances in which state security forces (SSF) acted independently of civilian control and of military command. Weak civilian control over SSF contributed to increased conflict in eastern Congo. In April integrated former rebels of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) defected from the national army (FARDC). Subsequently, they created the M23 armed group (named after the March 23, 2009, peace agreements) and challenged government control in the eastern part of the country, which led to violence, the displacement of large numbers of persons, and significant human rights abuses, including the M23’s recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. During the year the government entered into a UN-backed action plan to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and the government made significant improvements to reduce the presence of children in the nation’s armed forces. The three most important human rights issues were: armed conflict in the East that exacerbated an already precarious human rights situation, particularly with regard to sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV); the lack of an independent and effective judiciary; and impunity throughout the country for many serious abuses, including unlawful killings, disappearances, torture, rape, and arbitrary arrests and detention.
    [Show full text]